As soon as the small fire infant appeared, its large eyes, tinged with pink flames, gazed at Gu Fei.
The tiny creature extended its chubby hands and hugged Gu Fei's palm, nuzzling it with affection.
"This little guy…" Gu Fei's face softened with a gentle smile.
The fire infant was only slightly larger than his palm, appearing plump like a little ball. It had a single ponytail sticking up from its head, wore a pink bib, and its round bottom was exposed. On its forehead was a pink lotus-shaped fire mark, giving it an incredibly cute appearance.
"Ying Ying!"
The fire infant shook Gu Fei's hand and made baby-like sounds, its voice soft and strange.
Having two children of his own, Gu Fei's fatherly instincts kicked in. He gently patted the fire infant's head, then slid his hand down and pinched its chubby cheek. The soft and smooth texture made him realize that this little creature felt just like a real baby, with skin identical to that of a human.
While touching it, he also sensed a peculiar connection with the fire infant, a familiar feeling that mirrored his past experiences controlling the Heavenly Flames within him. Due to this connection, the fire infant treated Gu Fei like its closest person, much like a pet to its owner.
"Hehe, if Xian Yue and Wu Shuang saw this little thing, they'd definitely be happy!" Gu Fei suddenly thought of his two children and their mother.
After being in seclusion for so long, they must have been worried sick!
Thinking of this, Gu Fei didn't plan to stay any longer. With a swift motion, he sliced the space before him, and pink flames flickered from his fingertips. With just a light stroke, the space, impenetrable to many six-star Dou Saint experts, was torn open into a large rift.
Without hesitation, Gu Fei stepped into the rift and disappeared along with it, leaving the realm of the demonic flame behind in total silence. This place would no longer exist and would eventually be forgotten in the flow of time…
---
On the Demonic Fire Plains, Zi Yan sat cross-legged when she suddenly sensed a shift in the space around her. She quickly looked toward the source, and in her expectant gaze, a familiar figure gradually appeared.
"Brother Gu Fei, you're finally back!"
"Husband!" Zi Yan and Xiao Yi Xian both shouted in excitement as they rushed toward the figure in the sky.
"You've been waiting here all this time?" Gu Fei asked, slightly surprised, as he saw the two familiar figures running toward him. Feeling a pang of heartache, he opened his arms and embraced their delicate forms, breathing in the light fragrance from both women.
"I told you I'd be fine."
"I was worried about you…" Zi Yan's voice trembled slightly as she spoke, her eyes misting with tears.
Gu Fei tenderly wiped away the tears that had just rolled down her cheeks, his hand brushing gently against her face.
Xiao Yi Xian, standing nearby, didn't feel the slightest discomfort at Gu Fei's intimacy with Zi Yan. She knew well how deeply Zi Yan cared for Gu Fei. After all, who would wait here for over a year for someone unless they truly loved them?
Zi Yan's anxiety and restlessness from worrying about Gu Fei had been evident to Xiao Yi Xian, and the three of them stood closely together, enjoying their reunion before finally separating after some time.
"Did anything major happen while I was in seclusion?" Gu Fei asked.
"Not much. During this time, Sister Xiao Yi Xian and I destroyed one of the Soul Hall branches here on the Demonic Flame Plains!" Zi Yan replied seriously.
The two had stayed mostly in this area, so they weren't aware of what might have occurred elsewhere in the Central Plains.
"Let's head back first. The children are probably anxious by now," Gu Fei said as he quickly opened a spatial portal. Wrapping his arms around Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan's waists, the three stepped through.
---
Soon after, Gu Fei returned to the Gu Realm, and his return was met with sighs of relief from many of the clan's elders. Upon hearing that Gu Fei had successfully refined the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame and advanced to six-star Dou Saint, the entire Gu Clan was ecstatic.
Now, Gu Fei's strength surpassed nearly all the older generation of the clan, leaving only a handful who could still stand above him.
"Hehe, at this rate, this boy might surpass me in less than ten years!" Gu Lie, his grandfather, was more delighted than anyone, as no one could match his pride in having such a talented grandson.
"Welcome back, Young Clan Leader!"
As Gu Fei walked through the clan, every young member of the Gu Clan, including Gu Yao and Gu Qing Yang, respectfully bowed in greeting. Everyone genuinely recognized Gu Fei as their Young Clan Leader.
However, Gu Fei didn't linger, heading straight back to his small mountain.
---
"Daddy!"
"Mommy!"
"Master! Mistress!"
"Brother Gu Fei! Sister Xian!"
"Master, you've returned!"
On the mountain, Wu Shuang, Xian Yue, Ling Xi, Qing Lin, Lion King, and Venerable Tian Huo all looked excitedly at Gu Fei's return. They had been worried during the year he had been gone.
"I was completely fine. That Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was no match for me," Gu Fei reassured them with a calm smile.
With a thought, he summoned the fire infant from within him.
"Ying Ying!"
The moment it appeared, the surrounding space distorted slightly from the intense heat. The little creature let out its strange, baby-like sounds.
"What is that?" Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the small infant-like figure.
"This is the fire infant, a mutation formed from the fusion of six different Heavenly Flames under my control," Gu Fei explained with a smile.
"Oh, I see!"
"Daddy, does it have a name?" Xian Yue asked, her big eyes blinking with curiosity.
"Every time it comes out, it always makes that 'ying ying' sound. How about we call it Xiao Ying?" Gu Fei suggested.
"Ying Ying! Ying Ying!" The little creature seemed to understand Gu Fei's words and started hopping around on his palm.